Boston Globe
BOSTON — For the first time in 20 years, Boston’s 911 dispatch system is getting a major overhaul that officials say will shorten response times and increase officer safety.
The $17 million upgrade went live at 10:12 a.m. Tuesday with an otherwise-mundane call for a car parked in front of a fire hydrant. The system uses geospatial technology to create a real-time map of the city that includes the position of every police car, ambulance, and fire engine, as well as the location of every 911 call and ShotSpotter, which alerts police to gunfire.
Instead of dispatchers directing traffic by typing hundreds of coded commands, they can now quickly drag and drop virtual responders onto the scene with a few clicks of the mouse.
Read full story: Boston’s overhauled 911 system launches